Why the Word no, Isn’t Always the End All be All for Influencers
Picture it. It’s 2016 and my husband and I are looking to buy a home. We had saved and prayed our way to homeownership, yet after looking at probably more than 100 homes, we still could not find what we really wanted. Then we came across a custom builder in Georgia and I reached out to them. I’ll never forget my first conversation with Suzanne, one of the owners. After some small talk, she asked what our budget was for the home that we wanted to build. I proudly told her our top budget and she politely told me, they don’t build for that low.
That low? No ma’am! Perhaps you didn’t hear what I said. I gave you my highest budget and that was no chump change, to which she basically replied, yes I heard you and I raise you to get on our price level. I was intrigued by this. I had to see what kind of houses they were building for that price point and why my “little budget” wasn’t good enough.
So, my husband and I met with Suzanne and her husband Michael, to see the caliber of homes they were building. As soon as we entered the subdivision where they have built several homes, I understood the difference. The quality and style were different from any of the homes we looked at and my husband knew from the twinkle in my eye, that this is where I wanted to live and these were the people that I wanted to build my home.
The issue with building the custom home wasn’t the end result, which would be the mortgage, we had that covered. It was the cash we would need upfront for the down payment and throughout the building process for upgrades. We took the leap into the sea of homeownership headfirst building a home we would have never thought we could have. Both my husband and I worked overtime, double-time, triple-time, to get what we wanted. Our savings, hard work, and grace from our builders got us to the finish line and I’m happy to say, we have been living in our beautiful home, built and catered to us for over 3 years.
Now I know this heartwarming story may have nothing to do with being an influencer but in so many ways it does. Imagine if I would’ve taken Suzanne’s no to my budget as the end all be all, thanked her for her time, and hung up. Imagine if my husband and I were not willing to do the work! My family and I would not be where we are today and while I’m sure I would’ve gone on to find a nice home, it would not have compared to the home that we have or the experience with honest and knowledgeable builders, who have since become our good friends.
About 6 months ago, I started pitching brands for partnerships and collaborations. It was daunting at first because one, I didn’t have the experience doing it, and two I thought my follower count wasn’t high enough. Let me tell you why neither of those things is relevant. You don’t gain experience until you start doing, so start doing! There will be mistakes and bumps in the road but the road will ultimately remain unpaved until you start making moves. Secondly, waiting until you have 1ok followers to start doing? Like the lady with bronchitis said, “ain’t nobody got time for that!”
Brands see the work, that you are putting in now. They are looking for engagement. Do you have the ability to make people act, do and buy? In my media kit, I point out how even a small fish can make a big impact. It’s me. I’m the small fish and I’m just here swimming upstream and making my way. You should be too!
A few months back a brand approached me to do my first paid partnership featuring my sectional. I was stoked because they reached out to little old me. I did the ask. I got all the work done and submitted by the deadline and I felt accomplished. Then I got an email asking if my sectional was XYZ sectional and I’m like I don’t know. They told me it was the XYZ sectional, so I assumed it was. As it turns out my sectional wasn’t the XYZ it was the ABC, which was discontinued, so they were not able to use my photos in the campaign. I was disappointed, to say the least, but I didn’t sulk about it too long. It was yet another lesson. Do the research, to make sure you have the actual product they want you to represent. Here I used made up sectional names because I still fully intend to work with this brand in the future. This no doesn’t define the business relationship, I want to have with them.
Going forward, I was looking to pitch a brand that said you had to have a minimum of five thousand followers. Well, I don’t have that but I pitched them anyway, with half the amount of followers and you know what? They asked that I be a part of their campaign and I was. I also pitched another brand and was flat out told no thank you from their marketing department. The email said that they were not currently looking to do any partnerships. The next day, I received another email from the COO of the company asking if I would produce content for their website, after reviewing my Instagram.
Trust me, I am no professional at being an influencer yet but I know what I can do and what I can offer and I use those things as my strong points when I pitch brands. For me, it’s a take it or leave it situation but man if you take it, I’m sure to give a 110% effort. There will be no set formula on how you work as an influencer, there is also no set formula on whether or not brands choose to work with you. What I do know is, you can’t be discouraged by the word no. Think of it as, “not right now.” At this moment it may not happen but if you continue to start doing and actually put in the consistency and the work, all no roads will lead to yes highways and I love to see it, for you and for me.
